President in Ho Chi Minh City; history, art on show

President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday reached Vietnam's business capital on the second leg of his four-day visit, during which he will visit various historic sites, attend a cultural programme and meet the local Indian community and prominent Vietnamese politicians.

Mukherjee was received at the airport by People's Committee vice chairman le Manh Ha and other local dignitaries. He straightaway proceeded to the War Remnants Museum. He will attend an Indian community reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Preeti Saran and view a cultural programme at the Opera House.

A banquet will be hosted in his honour by Vietnamese Communist Party's Ho Chi Minh City party committee secretary le Thanh Hai. On Wednesday morning, he will visit the Cu Chi tunnels before flying back to India.

According to informed sources, Mukherjee was keen to visit the erstwhile Saigon, since on his last visit to Vietnam in May 2011 as union finance minister, he had only visited Hanoi.

Secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry Anil Wadhwa later told journalists that Ho Chi Minh City was included in the programme because it is the hub of industrial and commercial activities and with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung coming to India next month at the head of large business delegation, it was also important to engage with the sector.

Also like the Vietnamese premier, the Ho Chi Minh City party secretary is considered one of the upcoming "bright suns" of the Vietnamese politics and it was important to meet him too, he added. Another reason was that the bulk of the Indian community living in Vietnam is based in Ho Chi Minh City, said Wadhwa.